A Thriving Agricultural Hub

Eastern China has a long history of farming, fishing and trade. This is a fertile region, suited to agriculture, and the population is correspondingly large and relatively prosperous. From the time of the Han dynasty (206bce—ce220) onwards, the Yangtze River Delta has been an area of high productivity, with its own traditions of culture, food and farming. Today, Shanghai is one of the world’s largest cities, buzzing with modern technology, architecture and transport, and an ever-expanding population.